Victim
by Luine
Summary: **AU** Duo is a popular teenager in highschool. He gets on really well with everyone...except his abusive father. He regularly misses school and comes in days later covered in bruises... *yaoi* ~R&R~ ***Chap 10 added***
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Okay I wrote this fic the other day so I hope you like it. It's an angsty, AU Duo fic, where his father is abusing him and nobody knows but his best friend Milliardo.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing…I cant think of anything really witty to finish with so I'll just leave it at that…sigh…that's sooo lame…  
  
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VICTIM  
  
Duo sighed when he saw the school just ahead. His hand moved up slowly to the large bruise on his cheek. He took a deep breath and pasted a grin on his face. He walked slowly trying to hide his limp. As soon as he stepped inside the school he headed for his locker. His best friend Milliardo was already there, leaning against the lockers talking to Noin. He saw Duo and waved.  
  
"Yo Duo! Wassup man?" Duo saluted him, twisting the dial to open his locker.  
  
"Nuthin' much. Had a bit of a cold so I had to stay home for the last few days" Duo said faking a cough. Noin went to talk to her best friend Sally. Milliardo's smile faded and he walked over to Duo.  
  
"What the hell did he do this time? I don't see why you won't let me tell anyone!"  
  
"Because he'd fucking kill me that's why!!" Duo hiss frantically. Milliardo reached over catching Duo under the chin and tilting his face so that he could look at the bruise. Duo batted his hands away muttering under his breath. He threw a hand around Duo's shoulders in a seemingly friendly gesture but he was in fact offering Duo support so that he wouldn't have to put his full wait on his injured leg.  
  
"I worry Duo" Milliardo said softly. "Hell I thought he had killed you when you didn't come to school the last few days."  
  
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"So, any news while I was out?" Duo asked. Milliardo considered this before replying.  
  
"There are some new students in school; one's Chinese, think his name's Wuffy…no…its Wufei." Duo sniggered, memorizing the name in order to torment 'Wuffy' at some stage.  
  
"Then there's the Arabian, Quatre Raberba Winner…some rich kid and the last guy's Japanese. I think his name is Heero…not sure though" Duo nodded. They reached the classroom; Duo and Milliardo took their seats at the back. The classroom gradually filled up as the other students arrived. They grinned and waved to Duo. Some asking him about the bruise but he just shrugged off the question. Milliardo was pointing out the new students to Duo when the teacher, Mr. Suzuharu walked in.  
  
"Glad to see you're back Mr. Maxwell" he said.  
  
"And I…am thrilled to be back" duo grinned playfully. Mr. Suzuharu snorted and looked down at the papers in his hands.  
  
"I have last weeks tests to return to you. I'll do that at the end of class."  
  
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The class went by quickly. Duo paid absolute attention to his teacher. He enjoyed school…mainly because it meant that he wasn't at home. Mr. Suzuharu put his test on the desk and handed Milliardo his. The bell rang as he finished handing back the test.  
  
"Woohoo!" Milliardo whooped "C plus, that's my best ever" Duo flipped over the parchment. His hands shook when he saw the grade.  
  
"Great test Duo" Mr. Suzuharu said sincerely "That's an excellent score, considering you were out most of the week and didn't even know you had a test! You're one of my prize students." Duo shook his head in disbelief. A 'B minus' This couldn't be happening. He gulped.  
  
"Hey man…are you okay?" Milliardo asked. Duo lowered his head into his hands and groaned loudly. Mr. Suzuharu took one look at Duo's pale face and rushed to his side.  
  
"Are you alright Duo…Are you going to faint?" Duo shook his head. His voice trembled when he spoke.  
  
"N…no…I'm…o…okay" he mumbled.  
  
"Milliardo run and get him something to drink" Mr. Suzuharu ordered "How did you get that bruise anyway?" he asked. Duo mumbled something incoherent. Milliardo returned with a glass of water. Duo sipped slowly.  
  
"Maybe you should go home" Mr. Suzuharu suggested.  
  
"No!!" both Duo and Milliardo gasped.  
  
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Mr. Suzuharu looked at them both strangely.  
  
Oookay…" he said slowly "maybe not…At least go to the infirmary and lie down awhile. Milliardo, you go with him. Milliardo nodded and helped his friend to stand. Duo sagged against him; the test still clutched in his hand. They sat silently in the infirmary.  
  
"What am I going to do?" Duo mumbled hopelessly.  
  
"You could explain what happened, y'know; that you were out and all…besides a 'B minus' is great."  
  
"He won't listen. He's one of those act first, talk later or preferably not talk at all type of people." He took a shaky breath "I don't see why she couldn't have taken me with her…Did she hate me so much to leave me with him as punishment." Milliardo hugged Duo tightly.  
  
"Ouch!" Duo grunted "My ribs are sore" Milliardo sighed and loosened his grip. They sat in the infirmary for two periods before they decided to return to class. The day couldn't have gone slow enough for Duo's liking. Before he knew it, school was over and it was time to go home. He walked slowly home, absently kicking a stone along in front of him. He could see his house at the end of the street.  
  
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He opened the door quietly and slipped silently inside. He tiptoed to the stairs and as soon as he put his foot on the first step, it creaked under his slight weight.  
  
"Duo is that you?" came the slurred voice of his father. Duo grimaced…he was drunk already. He took a deep breath before answering.  
  
"Yes father its me"  
  
"Get your sorry ass in here" Duo moved slowly into the room. His father looked up as he entered taking another drink from the bottle in his hand.  
  
"Give me your bag!" he demanded. Duo handed it over dejectedly…his father always checked through his bag when he came home from school. His father rummaged through the bag until he came across the test and he stopped abruptly.  
  
"What do you call this?!" he spat. Duo cringed.  
  
"Mr. Suzuharu said it was a really good test considering I was absent…"  
  
"Don't make excuses you lazy shit! What does it say!?" He snapped shoving the test in Duo's face hitting him in the process. Duo stumbled back, his eyes wide. He quivered with fear.  
  
"A…a…'B minus'…" he whispered  
  
"And do you think that's good enough?!?!"  
  
"No…" Duo whimpered.  
  
  
  
To Be Continued….  
  
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Okay that's it for now. There's more to come…if you want it. I hate to have to say it but Duo gets the shite kicked out of him in the next chapter…I'm so mean to poor Duo-chan… but no worries cause I'll make it up to him in the end (whenever that is…)  
  
Review and let me know if you want more!! 


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Okay here's the second chap. of Victim. Its very sad…it made me feel depressed when I was writing it…There was only one other of my fics that made me feel like that…"Love Hurts"; the part where Gohan nearly dies…I was on the verge of tears writing it lol I'm soooo sad  
  
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Victim: Part 2  
  
  
  
His father advanced on him. Duo backed towards the stairs. He knew it was pointless but his instincts told him to run…so he did. He whirled around and ran for the stairs but his father caught his braid and wrenched it back. Duo cried out and grabbed his scalp in agony. He fell on his back on the floor. All air was pushed from his lungs as he hit the ground. Then he felt a heavy foot on his chest. His father pressed down. Duo could almost hear his ribs creaking, on the verge of snapping. He sobbed in agony and tried to push the foot from his chest. Just when he thought his ribcage was going to cave in the foot was gone. There was a sharp pain in his side as he was kicked viciously. He lay face down gasping; he could hear him coming over. Rough, callused fingers clamped onto his arm and jerked upward. There was a loud 'pop' and Duo screamed in pain, as his shoulder was dislocated. He was dragged up and stood before the man who was supposedly his father, trembling violently. He was shoved backwards and stumbled until his foot hit a step on the stairs and he went sprawling backwards his head hitting the banister. He could feel blood running down the back of his neck.  
  
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"Get out of my house brat!" His father snapped.  
  
"B…but father" he gasped. He was pushed towards the front door and thrown roughly out the door. He fell on the concrete grazing his hands and knees. He got to his feet slowly. A rock came hurtling at him, glancing off his forehead and a new flow of blood began.  
  
"Get the hell off my property!!" Duo ran as fast as he could move with his injuries as more stones were thrown at him. He stopped when he was out of sight of his father, panting and gasping for breath. He saw a telephone box and headed for it. His right arm hung limply at his side and he used his left to search through his pockets for change. Fortunately he had some and he dialed Milliardo's number waiting for an answer.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Milliardo?" he said quietly.  
  
"Duo?!" Milliardo gasped "Are you alright?"  
  
"No...No I'm not" he mumbled on the verge of tears "I'm at the phone box near my house…can you come get me?"  
  
"Of course! I'll be there in a few minutes!" Milliardo grabbed his jacket and dashed out the door shouting  
  
"I'm going out mom"  
  
"What? Did you say honey?"  
  
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He ran in the direction of Duo's house. He lived a couple of blocks (1) from Duo's house so it took him a while to get there. He could see the phone box and then he noticed the figure slumped inside. 'Duo!' he thought frantically. Duo smiled weakly when he saw his friend coming. Milliardo stopped. He was gasping for breath. His eyes widened in horror.  
  
"Jesus! What has he done to you?" tears sprang to his eyes. He reached out gently brushing Duo's bangs from his forehead because they were sticking to the cut.  
  
"We'll go to my place and…we'll see what we can do! Duo nodded gratefully and tried to walk. His legs gave way and he slumped to the ground. Milliardo dropped down next to him.  
  
"Shit!" he gasped "I'll ring Treize." He dialed the number of his house and his mother picked up.  
  
"Hi mom could you get Treize for me?"  
  
"Milli honey are you okay? You sound all out of breath…where are you? I don't even remember you leaving…" she rambled on.  
  
"Yeah…yeah…Get Treize for me! She sighed and went to get him. Within seconds his brother was on the phone.  
  
"Can you collect me? I'm at the phone box near Duo's"  
  
Why can't you walk home?" Treize said irritably.  
  
"Because I can't!" Milliardo said urgently.  
  
"Tch okay okay, I'll be there in a minute"  
  
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Milliardo sat next to Duo on the ground.  
  
"Everything will be okay Duo cause Treize is on his way"  
  
"Thanks man…I'd be dead a long time ago if it wasn't for you"  
  
"Don't say that Duo…I'd die if anything happened to you. I don't care what you say, that bastard is going to pay" Duo looked up at him, his eyes shining with tears.  
  
"Please don't say anything to anyone…I'm so afraid of him." He wept openly. Milliardo wrapped an arm around his shoulders and made him lie back in his arms. He hushed Duo and gently stroked his hair. He felt something wet and sticky on his hands and a quick look informed him of the cut on the back of Duo's head. Duo closed his eyes enjoying the feel of someone comforting him. He heard the car pull up and the door opening and closing.  
  
"What happened to him?!" Treize asked anxiously.  
  
"I'll explain later. Can we just get him home?" Treize bent down and picked Duo up.  
  
"Mind it…I think his arm is broken." Treize was as gentle as possible. Milliardo sat in the back and Treize handed Duo in to him. Duo slept peacefully on the way to Milliardo's house.  
  
"I'll explain it as soon as we get Duo seen to" Treize nodded as the car pulled into the driveway.  
  
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Treize lifted Duo from the car and carried him into the house. He watched as his younger brother ran ahead to open the door.  
  
"Mom" he called as he walked in and went to lay Duo on the couch. She walked in smiling; the smile quickly disappeared when she saw Duo.  
  
"Wha…what happened?" she gasped. Duo stirred and looked around him.  
  
"I'll explain" Milliardo said "Is dad here?"  
  
"Please" Duo begged "Please don't Milliardo?" He started to sob. Milliardo's mother raised a hand to her mouth, tears springing to her eyes. Treize went to get their father. Milliardo whispered to his friend.  
  
"I have to Duo-chan…This has to stop" He reached out squeezing Duo's hand gently.  
  
"You promised you wouldn't" Duo wept "He's going to punish me for this" Milliardo's eyes misted over.  
  
"I can't stand by and do nothing but watch Duo…One day he'll go too far…hit too hard…break too many bones…" Milliardo lowered his head as a few tears trickled down his cheeks.  
  
To Be Continued….  
  
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(1) I have no idea how far a block is so I'm going to be vague when I talk about blocks…(n_n)^^  
  
Well I hope you liked this chapter. Sorry for ending with such a cliffhanger but sure 'C'est la vie' ne?  
  
Review if ya want more…no flames plz…I'm sick of em!! 


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Heh heh I was waiting for someone to mention what number Milliardo was…I knew the pilots numbers obviously but I didn't know which Milli was…How come Treize is 13? He's miles from the rest of them and who is 7, 8, 9, etc. Hmmm well now that I know Milliardo is 6…Yes this is a 6X2 fic. I wanted it to have an unusual pairing.  
  
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Victim Part 3  
  
Just then Treize and their father walked in. Milliardo took a deep breath.  
  
"I'm begging you…don't…" Milliardo shook his head, more tears falling. "Please…"  
  
"His father did this to him" Milliardo's voice hardened and he looked up at his parents. Treize gasped. Duo gulped down more tears and began to hyperventilate.  
  
"He's been treating Duo like this since his mother left…and before aswell but it was never as bad…" He moved closer to Duo wiping tears from his face. He turned back to his parents and said bitterly.  
  
"You know why it was this time?? It was because he got a B minus in a test!"  
  
"I'm going to call the police and a doctor."  
  
"No…please! Not the police. He…he'll kill me…" Duo wept hysterically.  
  
"Okay…okay, shush sweetie" Milliardo's mother said softly. "We won't call the police…today." She nodded to her husband; he sighed and nodded in agreement. He went to call a doctor. After about half an hour the doctor arrived. He had a hard time treating Duo's wounds. A lot of his ribs were cracked and the kick had broken two. He needed stitches on both of the wounds on his head. Also his dislocated arm had to be reset in its socket. He gave them an ointment for the many bruises, which covered Duo's battered body. Meanwhile Milliardo's father went to Duo's house, while his father was out and collected some of his things and a few changes of clothes.  
  
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Milliardo slept on the floor while Duo slept in his bed. He woke in the middle of the night when he heard Duo crying in his sleep. He crawled to the side of the bed and shook Duo gently. Duo looked at him through wide eyes.  
  
"Are you okay Duo?…you were crying in your sleep."  
  
"Just a bad dream…I'm alright now."  
  
"Okay so…" Milliardo moved back to his sleeping bag and fell asleep almost immediately. His alarm clock went off early the next morning. He yawned and switched it off.  
  
"Duo? You awake?" he asked.  
  
"No!" Milliardo rolled his eyes.  
  
"I'm off to school soon…I'll see you later 'kay"  
  
"Ummm…Milliardo…Will you do me a huge favor when you come home."  
  
"Yeah sure, what is it?"  
  
"Will you wash my hair? I cant with my arm and its all blood and…"  
  
"Of course I will! Well I'd better get my breakfast and head off" he waved goodbye and headed downstairs. His dad looked up from his newspaper.  
  
"Is he feeling any better today?" he asked concerned.  
  
"A bit. Keep an eye on him today?" His father nodded. Milliardo grabbed the slice of toast off his father's plate and ran out the door.  
  
"Hey!" He sighed and turned to the next page of his newspaper.  
  
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Milliardo sat by himself in English. It was the last class before lunch and he was bored out of his mind without Duo to talk to. He doodled along the margin of his copy waiting impatiently for the bell to go. He really wanted school to be over so he could go home to check on Duo. The bell finally rang.  
  
"Is Duo okay?" Mr. Suzuharu asked before he left.  
  
"He's in a bad way," Milliardo said truthfully.  
  
"Poor kid…what was it? Flu?" he asked.  
  
"Something like that…" Milliardo answered. He walked towards the cafeteria completely oblivious of what was to come. He was walking towards the trays when someone caught his arm and jerked him back.  
  
"Hey! What the…Oh shit!" Suddenly he was pinned against the wall, a hand at his throat. He could vaguely hear shouting around him.  
  
"Oh shit is right you little bastard! Where the fuck is my son!?" Mr. Maxwell snapped putting pressure on his throat.  
  
"He's somewhere you can't hurt him!" Milliardo gasped. Duo's father slapped him.  
  
"Duo won't be safe from me forever brat…he's my son and I'll do whatever I want with him!" he hissed.  
  
"Do you get some sick pleasure out of beating him senseless!?…well I'm not so easily scared so you'd better just fuck off now cause the school has probably called the cops!"  
  
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Mr. Maxwell's face turned red with anger. Milliardo sneered at him when he loosened his grip.  
  
"Run along like a good little boy now…" he said with a smirk. Mr. Maxwell grabbed him by the collar lifting his feet clean off the ground.  
  
"Consider yourself lucky this time…but there will be a next time!" He threw Milliardo backwards and he landed on his back on the floor. Mr. Maxwell stormed from the school. Mr. Suzuharu ran from the direction of the staff room.  
  
"Milliardo are you alright?" he asked urgently. Milliardo groaned and struggled to his feet.  
  
"Yeah…just a little shaken up" he muttered. Noin rushed over and latched onto his arm.  
  
"Oh Milli…you were so brave, the way you stood up to that man…Wasn't that Duo's father?" Milliardo shook off Noin.  
  
"Yeah it was…" Mr. Suzuharu answered "…but what did he want?"  
  
"His son…but he won't get him!" Mr. Suzuharu and Noin both looked at him confused.  
  
"What do you mean Milli?" Milliardo didn't answer and just walked away.  
  
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When the final bell went Milliardo collected his books from his locker and began to walk home. He felt as if he was being watched and kept turning around to see if there was anybody behind him. He walked faster, breaking into a run. He finally reached his house and ran in the door slamming it behind him. He leaned against the door panting.  
  
"Milli, is that you?" His mother called from the kitchen.  
  
"Yes mom" he answered walking into the kitchen. She smiled up at him. She gasped when she saw his face.  
  
"What happened??" She rushed over to get a better look at the bruise and to see how bad it was "Did you get in a fight?" She asked anxiously.  
  
"No mom" he lowered his voice "Mr. Maxwell came to the school looking for Duo today" She looked at him worriedly and went to get some ice from the freezer for his cheek.  
  
"How's Duo?" he asked.  
  
"He's much better" She looked thoughtful "We'll have to call the police and get a barring order or something…we need to keep him away from you aswell…" She looked upset. "I'll talk to your father when he gets home" Milliardo nodded and rummaged in the press until he found a packet of crisps and went to talk to Duo. He stuck his head in the door.  
  
"You awake Duo?" Duo turned to look at him, a grin on his face. His smile faltered and his eyes focused on the bruise on his face.  
  
To Be Continued…  
  
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Well? Well? What did you think? I hope you like this fic and I'd like to thank all the people who reviewed my last piece I really appreciate it!! (n_n)v I actually like this fic…I'm not sure where it's really going but the next part is really cute and we get a bit of Milli+Duo…yay!  
  
Review and let me know what you thought??????? 


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews I really appreciate them…it makes me want to write more. I'm in a particularly good mood today cause I got a college offer today so I'll be doing Animation! I'm dead chuffed… Well I'd better get onto the fic  
  
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Victim Part 4  
  
"What happened to your face?" Duo asked concerned.  
  
"Oh that…I got in a fight today in school. Some of the jocks were dissin' Noin and well…I couldn't let them get away with it." He grinned  
  
"Oh…" was all Duo said. Milliardo sighed.  
  
"I dunno why I bother though. She's really been getting on my nerves lately…she's so damn clingy!" He said with a pout. Duo smiled. 'Good' Milliardo thought 'that's convinced him…'  
  
"How about I wash your hair before dinner?" Duo nodded eagerly. They went into the bathroom. Duo knelt beside the bath resting his arms on the side. Milliardo sat on the edge near him. He poured some warm water over Duo's hair and got some lavender and jasmine shampoo, gently massaging it into Duo's scalp. Duo relaxed, sighing contently and closing his eyes. Milliardo rinsed the shampoo and added the conditioner. He carefully avoided touching the two wounds on Duo's head as he rinsed the conditioner. He got a warm towel and wrapped it around Duo's head.  
  
"All done!" he said. Duo stood up slowly with Milliardo's help and they went back to the bedroom.  
  
"Lie down and I'll comb it for you. Duo lay across Milliardo's lap while the tangles were being brushed from his hair. He felt completely at ease.  
  
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Milliardo looked down at Duo. His eyes were closed and he had a smile on his face. His eyes blinked open and he stared into Milliardo's.  
  
"What is it?" he asked. Milliardo grinned.  
  
"We match" he laughed touching the bruise on his own cheek and brushing his fingers gently across the one on Duo's. Duo laughed and sat up. Milliardo got the hairdryer and blow-dried Duo's hair.  
  
"Milliardo, Duo, dinner's ready!" Treize called. They didn't have time to re-braid Duo's hair so they left it down and headed down to the dining room.  
  
"Whoa Duo!" Treize grinned "You'd make one hot girl!" Duo blushed and grinned, Milliardo laughed.  
  
"You'd better not let Une hear you saying that" Duo chuckled and he walked over to Treize swaying his hips as the dressing gown flowed around him. He placed a hand on Treize's chest and winked at him. He turned flicking his hair over his shoulder and walking to the table. Treize whistled. Milliardo's breath caught in his throat as he watched Duo's movements. They settled down to dinner eating quietly. Milliardo did the wash up afterwards while Duo sat on the counter watching him.  
  
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Milliardo's hair hung in his face while he washed. He reached a soapy hand up brushing it out of his face. Duo hopped off the counter and stood behind him.  
  
"Hold still a sec." He whispered in Milliardo's ear. He reached up and ran his hands through Milliardo's hair using his fingers to brush it into a ponytail. He pulled his hair-tie from his pocket and used it to tie the ponytail.  
  
"There. That looks really good. You should wear it like this more often, it suits you." Milliardo turned around to face him and Duo smiled.  
  
"You have some suds on your face" Milliardo reached up and tried to find it "No it's here" Duo said reaching up and brushing it off his cheek. Their eyes met and they stood looking at eachother. Milliardo blushed and looked down, Duo looked to he side.  
  
"I…I'd better…ummm…finish." He mumbled.  
  
"…Yeah…I'll wait for you in the bedroom…" Duo blushed harder when he realized what he had said, "I mean…ah…" He turned and hurried up the stairs. Milliardo watched as he ran up taking two steps at a time.  
  
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He heard sniggering from the next room. He moved towards the door and he could hear someone moving inside. His mother, father and brother were trying to make themselves look busy.  
  
"It's upside down dad…and why are you reading mom's gardening mag Treize?" he muttered. His father turned the newspaper the right way up. Treize grinned ruefully.  
  
"Don't ye have anything better to do?" he turned and headed for the stairs sighing in embarrassment when he heard his mother burst into a fit of giggles while Treize laughed. His father at least had the decency to pretend not to be laughing, he heard coughing as his father tried to cover the laughs. He opened the door to his room and Duo was lying on the bed leafing through magazines.  
  
"Hey Milliardo, how long before I go back to school?" Duo asked, "It's boring here without you."  
  
"Probably next week" he said "They'll want to make sure you're in top form before letting you out of their sight." Duo nodded, he stretched out on the bed, rolling over to look at Milliardo.  
  
"Your family is great. You don't know how lucky you are, a nice mom…and dad, and a big brother…" a few tears trickled down his cheeks.  
  
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"Don't cry Duo" Milliardo said. He sat on the bed next to Duo rubbing circles on his back. Duo leaned over burying his face in Milliardo's chest. Milliardo held him close and lightly kissed the top of his head. The scent of the shampoo was overpowering. Duo looked up at Milliardo; his eyes were glassy as fresh tears threatened to fall. Milliardo threw caution to the wind. He bent down kissing Duo on the lips. Duo eyes widened in surprise but only for a second. He kissed back passionately. Duo lay back pulling Milliardo down with him. After a while they broke apart for air. Milliardo looked at Duo, his long chestnut hair was spread out around him and his amethyst eyes sparkled happily.  
  
"You're beautiful Duo…" he sighed. He leant down trailing kisses down Duo's neck. Duo tilted his head back moaning in pleasure as this sensation sent shivers down his spine. Milliardo found his lips again. He sucked and nibbled the lower lip. Duo opened his mouth letting Milliardo's tongue enter. They battled it out for a couple of minutes before breaking the kiss. Duo ran his tongue over his lips. Beads of sweat could be seen on his face and his cheeks were flushed.  
  
"You…gasp…are an amazing kisser…" Duo panted.  
  
To Be Continued…  
  
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Well I hope you liked this part. I love the bit with the wash up, its so kawaii! Oh and Heero, Trowa, Quatre and Wufei will be in it later on! I had a bit of difficulty figuring out where and how to bring them in but I got it in the end. Well that's it for another week.  
  
Review plz!!!!!!!!! 


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Okay I tried to add a little humor at the beginning of this part cause it's just so dark…I'm being really hard on my poor Duo and poor Milliardo gets a bit roughed up too I'm afraid. Oh well, all's fair in love and war!  
  
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Victim Part 5  
  
"You are an amazing kisser," Duo said panting. They curled up next to eachother on the bed and eventually fell asleep. Milliardo's mother opened the door. She peeped inside smiling when she saw Duo in Milliardo's arms. She walked over and pulled the quilt over them. She turned on the alarm clock to wake Milliardo for school the next day. She turned off the light on her way out. The alarm went off early the next morning. Milliardo fumbled around searching for the clock. 'Hmmm' he thought 'I don't usually put it out of reach' but then he couldn't even remember turning it on. He opened one eye searching for the clock. He was considering leaving it ring out.  
  
"Will you turn the damn thing off!!" muttered a sleepy Duo.  
  
"Good morning to you too grumpy"  
  
"I'll e a lot bloody grumpier if you don't turn that friggin' clock off!" Milliardo threw off the blankets and swung his legs over the edge of the bed.  
  
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He stood up and immediately leapt to the side cursing. The clock stopped beeping after being stood on.  
  
"You feckin' eejit!!…hahaha…you stood on the clock…haha…how awkward can you get!?" Duo burst out laughing at the sight of Milliardo clutching his injured foot and hopping circles around the floor. The tears were streaming down his face as he clutched his ribs, wheezing with laughter.  
  
"It's not bloody funny Duo! That stung!" he snapped.  
  
"Well at least the alarm's off!" Duo said in between fits of giggles. Milliardo limped towards the bathroom, returning a few minutes later fully dressed. He picked up his school bag and turned for the door.  
  
"Oh yeah!" he grinned and hurried back to the bed and kissed Duo tenderly before leaving.  
  
"Hurry home okay!" Milliardo nodded and left. He ran into the kitchen picking up an apple.  
  
"Have a good night's sleep dear?" his mother asked.  
  
"Yeah" he said blushing before he legged it out the door. He jogged to school eating the apple on the way.  
  
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'There it is again' Milliardo thought. He could feel someone watching him again. He saw someone walking up ahead and ran to catch up to him.  
  
"Hey Trowa, mind if I walk with you?" he asked.  
  
"Not at all…we just have to go by Quatre's house cause he's coming with us" Milliardo nodded. He still felt like he was being watched but he felt less threatened now that he was walking with someone else. They neared Quatre's house, which was more a mansion than a house and they could see the petite blonde waiting at the gate.  
  
"Hi Trowa!" he said waving.  
  
"Hi Quatre. This is Milliardo, he's going to walk with us to school with us" Quatre grinned and extended a hand. Milliardo shook it warmly.  
  
"Pleased to meet you Milliardo!"  
  
"Ditto Quatre" he replyed with a smile "How's your sister Trowa?" he asked conversationally.  
  
"She's fine…bossy as ever, but sure you gotta love her" Trowa answered "Oh how's Duo? I heard he was sick...or is it something else?"  
  
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Milliardo and Trowa shared a knowing look and Quatre looked at them in confusion.  
  
"It was worse than usual this time but he's doing just fine now." Not many people knew this but Trowa and Duo had been going out for a while. It was a good bit ago now. They kept their relationship secret at the time, mainly so that Duo's father didn't find out. That was how Trowa knew about the beatings but he too had been made promise never to tell a soul. They had stayed friends and apparently now Trowa had someone else to keep him occupied. Quatre smiled shyly and chatted quietly with Trowa. Milliardo didn't interrupt them and just walked silently alongside them glad of the company. He glanced around searching for the owner of the watchful eyes.  
  
"So you feel it too?" Trowa asked. Milliardo nodded.  
  
"I think there's someone following me…they were there aswell yesterday."  
  
"Do you think it's him…You'd better not walk home by yourself Milliardo…"  
  
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Milliardo agreed wholeheartedly with Trowa. It was more than likely Duo's father and Mr. Maxwell's words were still fresh on his mind…"Consider yourself lucky this time but there will be a next time!" he sincerely hoped his mother rang the police today.  
  
"Is it okay if I walk home with you again this evening?" Milliardo asked.  
  
"I have my flute lesson after school but there's surely someone else going the same way as you" Milliardo nodded inwardly sighing with relief when he saw the school up ahead. He went to his locker to collect his books for the next class. He went to class. When lunchtime came he walked slowly to the cafeteria keeping an eye out for danger. Noin waved at him from her table and he strolled over. He was just about to sit down when he remembered something; the Yuy family had moved in near him. He scanned the room until he found the person he was looking for.  
  
"See ya later Noin" he said before hurrying to Heero's table. He sat down opposite the perfect student (1) Heero glanced at him momentarily before returning to his food.  
  
To Be Continued…  
  
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Heh heh I couldn't help it…so sue me (actually don't coz I'm broke…)  
  
Well I hope you all liked this story. I have finally started bringing the other g-boys into the fic…now all I need is Wufei and my master plan will finally be complete MWAHAHAHAHA!!  
  
Ummmm…well review if ya liked!! 


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Hi everyone sorry it's taken me so long to get this part up. My brother has been home from college and he doesn't leave me use the computer while he's around so I have to work around that. Well without further adieu…here's the next part of the story.  
  
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Victim part 6  
  
"Hiya Heero!" Milliardo said enthusiastically. Heero raised an eyebrow giving him a questioning look.  
  
"What do you want?" he said abruptly. Milliardo was taken aback by his directness.  
  
"Umm well…you see…" he began.  
  
"Get to the point" Heero said straight out.  
  
"I was wondering if I could walk home with you today?"  
  
"Why?" Milliardo couldn't believe how rude this guy was being.  
  
"Because…well I think I'm being followed and uh…safety in numbers or so they say…" he trailed off. Heero looked at him thoughtfully.  
  
"You were the guy who was attacked here yesterday?" Milliardo nodded "Do you think it's the same guy?" Milliardo nodded again. Heero considered this.  
  
"Okay you can walk home with me…Be at the gate straight away or I'm leaving without you."  
  
"Okay" Milliardo said with a grin. He stayed sitting at the table and began to eat his lunch.  
  
"Aren't you going to go sit with your girlfriend?…She's glaring at me" Milliardo shook his head.  
  
"God no! And she's not my girlfriend" He grinned and leaned forward. "Plus I'm bi and she probably thinks there's something between us" Heero smirked over at her.  
  
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When the final bell went Milliardo hurried to the gate where Heero was already waiting. He ran over greeting him. They walked most of the way in silence.  
  
"I see what you mean" Heero muttered "There's definitely someone wa…oof!" Heero was knocked to the side where he lost his balance and fell.  
  
"I told you I'd come for you" He had Milliardo pinned against a wall. Heero shook his head to clear it and stood slowly. He had been caught by surprise and Milliardo needed his help. He was just about to run over when another three men stood between himself and Milliardo. He sneered at them.  
  
"Get out of my way!" he ordered. When they refused to let him pass he attacked. He could see Milliardo struggling against the other man out of the corner of his eye.  
  
Milliardo felt like panicking. Duo's father had him pressed against a wall and he smelled of alcohol and cigarettes. He thrashed around but the older man held him tight. He leaned down whispering in Milliardo's ear.  
  
"I'm gonna make you wish you'd never been born" His hand reached for the zipper of Milliardo's pants sliding it down. Milliardo struggled wildly.  
  
"Heero help!!" he cried. Heero glanced over quickly, his eyes widened when he saw what was happening. Unfortunately that was all the men who were fighting him needed.  
  
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They caught him by the arms and it took two men to hold him. They forced him to kneel on the ground with both his arms twisted up behind his back.  
  
"Now you can just stay there and watch your friend…but don't worry, you'll get your turn" Heero felt sick as he looked over to where Milliardo was trying his best to get away from Duo's father. Milliardo was overpowered. Tears of shame poured down his cheeks. Suddenly he pulled his knees up to his chest and kicked out as hard as he could. Mr. Maxwell stumbled backwards. Milliardo rushed forward shouldering the large man out of his way. Heero took this opportunity to escape from the two surprised men that were holding him. They ran around the corner straight into a policeman. He took one look at their faces and rushed around the corner but he was too late. The men had already left. He returned to the two boys, his face concerned.  
  
"Milliardo I presume?" he asked. Milliardo nodded. He scrubbed at his eyes wiping away the tears. "Your parents rang and I was sent to see that you were alright…" he lowered his voice "Are you okay?" Heero stood at Milliardo's side patting his back awkwardly.  
  
"And you are?" the policeman said to Heero.  
  
"Heero Yuy" The policeman smiled momentarily.  
  
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"Ah, I know your father well. I understand he was transferred here not too long ago. You look very like him" Heero gave a curt nod. The policeman escorted them to Milliardo's house where his parents were waiting anxiously. Duo was waiting with them, his pale face creased with worry. When he saw the guard coming with the two boys he knew instantaneously that something was wrong. He rushed out the door still in his pyjamas and flung himself at Milliardo. Milliardo embraced him tightly. His parents followed Duo. They spoke quietly to the policeman who had been filled in by Heero.  
  
"I was so worried! How dare you lie to me you…you…" he broke off and sobbed into Milliardo's shoulder. Milliardo bowed his head.  
  
"Come on in and you can have something to eat…Duo you'll catch your death o' cold" Heero tried to refuse but Milliardo's mother ushered him in aswell. Milliardo sat in between Heero and Duo on the couch. The sat quietly, the only sound coming from Duo's sniffles. Milliardo wrapped an arm around Duo and kissed the top of his head.  
  
"Thanks for helping Milliardo…" Duo whispered to Heero.  
  
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Heero looked at Duo and smiled softly. There was something very adorable about the boy. Duo looked at him from underneath Milliardo's arm with his own arms wrapped around Milliardo's waist. He gave Heero a watery smile and glanced up at Milliardo. Their eyes met and Milliardo glanced away. Duo's eyes misted over and large tears rolled down his cheeks. He gave Milliardo a gentle squeeze and buried his face in Milliardo's shirt wiping away the salty tears.  
  
"I have a plan…" Heero said quietly. They both glanced at him questioningly. "It's going to be dangerous thought"  
  
"What is it?" Duo asked nervously.  
  
"We could use the two of you as bait…you'd have to go to school. I don't think he'd be able to resist the urge to catch both of you. The police could be waiting and when he attacked they could make their move. It would have to be done quickly…"  
  
"That's a good idea…you definitely take after your father" Heero looked up to where the policeman was standing in the doorway. "We can only do this with your permission of course" he said looking at Duo and Milliardo.  
  
"I'll do it" Duo said…and to lighten the mood he added, "Nobody touches my Milli but me!" He looked at Milliardo who nodded his agreement and offered Duo a small smile.  
  
To Be Continued…  
  
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Well I hope you liked this part of the fic…I think we should be nearing the end soon enough…*sob* I don't know whether to be happy or sad because this is one of my best fics (in my opinion) but I have so many others to work on…maybe it would be better if I at least had one totally finished. Well no worries because I have another couple of parts to come yet!  
  
Review and let me know what you thought?????????? 


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Hmmm well I think I'm back on schedule again…I've been so busy tho…I've been trying to sort out my accommodation for next yr and it's very annoying.  
  
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Part 7  
  
  
  
To keep up the pretence Milliardo's father drove Milliardo and Duo to school each day and collected them in the evening. Duo was really looking forward to getting back to school. He walked in with Milliardo at his side. They had agreed to keep their relationship a secret. Duo knew that Milliardo still hadn't broken up with Noin.  
  
"Duo you're back!" Trowa called striding over. "How are you mate?" Duo flashed him a brilliant smile.  
  
"I'm fine Tro, any news by you?" Trowa shook his head. Duo smiled at Quatre who had come up behind Trowa. "You must be Quatre…" Quatre nodded shyly.  
  
"Well it's nice to meet you Quatre! Well I'd love to stay and chat peeps but I gotta go to my locker. C'mon Milliardo dearest!" Milliardo rolled his eyes but followed anyway.  
  
"Are you sure you're well enough to e in school Duo…your injuries aren't totally healed yet"  
  
"As much as I love your family Milliardo there is no way in hell I'm spending another day at home! Besides…" he lowered his voice "We're safe at school anyway so nothing is going to happen." Milliardo hated to admit it but Duo was right.  
  
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They got their books from their lockers and walked into class. Duo grinned and waved to Heero when he walked in. Heero gave him a small smile before returning to his conversation with Wufei. Everyone crowded around Duo asking him how he was and where he'd been.  
  
"Gosh Duo, you're always sick!" one girl said.  
  
"Yeah and what happened to your arm and your head?" another asked.  
  
"What can I say?" Duo said with a shrug. "I'm accident prone and I catch things easy." They were satisfied with these answers. Duo had always been really good at making excuses for his injuries and his absences. Mr. Suzuharu walked in and ushered students back to their seats.  
  
"Ah Duo I see you're back again. I hope you're better this time" he said smiling broadly. The class flew and Duo and Milliardo spent their time passing notes back and over to each other. Mr. Suzuharu didn't notice but if he did he said nothing.  
  
"Okay I'm going to give you all an assignment which will be due next week…next Thursday shall we say" There was a groan from the class.  
  
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"The essay will be called 'My Most Memorable Moment' and they will be private so feel free to write about anything you want. I may ask for the best of them to be read out in class but it's purely your own choice to read or not" Duo looked thoughtful, he had already decided what he was going to write about. His life had been full of moments, which he doubted he would ever forget. When lunchtime came Milliardo and Duo walked to the cafeteria. Over the past week they had become inseparable.  
  
"C'mon Milliardo we'll sit with Heero and Wuffie" Duo said dragging Milliardo by the arm.  
  
"Hey guys! Is it okay if we sit with you?" Heero nodded gesturing to the two empty seats. Duo sat down and quickly began chatting with the two boys. Milliardo began to eat his lunch joining in the conversation every now and again. Sally leaned over to Noin.  
  
"I never knew Milliardo knew Heero and Wufei…he's sooo fine" Noin glared over.  
  
"Neither did I…I don't see why Milliardo didn't sit with us!" Relena pulled up a seat asking innocently.  
  
"Are Heero and Duo a couple?"  
  
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"What?! Why do you say that Relena?"  
  
"Because I saw the way he smiled at Heero this morning and at lunch and seeing as he hasn't been to school in a week he's have to know him from outside of school" Noin and Sally were considering this when Catherine sat down.  
  
"Hi girls, what are you talking about?"  
  
"Heero and Duo…Do you think they're a couple Cathy?" Relena said. Catherine looked shocked.  
  
"God no! I know I haven't been around for the last two weeks with the exchange program but if anyone at that table is a couple is a couple it's Duo and Milliardo…" She shot an apologetic glance at Noin.  
  
"What do you mean?" Noin asked shocked.  
  
"Well they /are/ very close and they came to school together and they've been hanging around together all day... Have you seen the looks they give each other when they think no-one is watching…Sorry Noin hun but I think you've lost him…" Noin glared at Catherine.  
  
"You're wrong Cathy! Milliardo's just worried about Duo that's all! He /has/ been sick" She looked over at the boys. They others glanced at each other and Catherine mouthed the word 'denial'.  
  
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"Stop calling me that Maxwell!" Wufei ordered.  
  
"But it's just sooo cute Wuffie…"Duo drawled. Wufei glared at him.  
  
"Braided baka, why don't you sit with those girls the next day…they've spent the whole time staring over at you two." He motioned at Noin's table. Duo glanced over and sure enough Noin was glaring over. He gulped.  
  
"D…Do you think she knows?" Duo stammered. Milliardo turned around.  
  
"Oh yikes!…I think she does…Catherine must have said something. Trowa tells her everything!"  
  
"I think you'd better stay away from that one Maxwell…heh heh if looks could kill eh?"  
  
"Oh shut up Wuffie…I think Sally might like you…she keeps looking over at you and blushing!"  
  
"Guys will you turn around, you're being totally obvious. Does Noin scare you that much Duo?…You've gone pale…" Duo was white as a sheet.  
  
"What is it?!" Wufei asked worriedly.  
  
"I…I think I s…saw my father at the door" They all whirled around but Duo's father was already gone.  
  
To Be Continued…  
  
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Well I hope you liked it. There's been way too much angst and there's more to come so I thought I'd lighten it up a bit. I know it's gone totally off the point…but hey!  
  
Well Review and let me know if you liked it????????????? 


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: I can't think of anything to say so I'll just get on with the fic.  
  
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Victim Part 8  
  
"Now he knows you're back at school…" Heero mused "Don't worry Duo, there's nothing he can do while you're at school. You have to come to school by car a few more mornings and then you can walk…I don't think your father will be able to resist the temptation so he will probably make his move the first day." Heero said quietly.  
  
"I still say it isn't a great plan" Wufei stated. "There are far too many ways that it can go wrong.  
  
"I know" Heero sighed "but it's a risk we've got to take…who knows…maybe this nightmare will be over before the end of this week."  
  
"Or a new one will be beginning" Wufei muttered darkly, he sighed loudly "Let's talk about something else…this is depressing me" Heero nodded in agreement.  
  
"Are we going to the Dojo after school today?" Wufei asked and Heero nodded again.  
  
"The Do-what?" Duo asked intrigued.  
  
"We're going to a Martial Arts Dojo. You two should come; you could learn some self-defense. It would come in handy" Their conversation was interrupted when Hilde came over. She greeted the boys and leaned towards Duo.  
  
"Hey Duo can I talk to you for a sec?"  
  
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"Sure Hilde" Duo said and stood up. They walked a distance from the table before Hilde said.  
  
"The girls sent me over to ask if…if you and Milliardo are an item?" Duo looked surprised.  
  
"Well you certainly are up front about it aren't you?" Duo muttered.  
  
"C'mon Duo…out with it! Yes or no?"  
  
"Yes and no" Duo said grinning.  
  
"Gawd Duo you can be so frustrating sometimes! Which is it?"  
  
"It's like I said…no we aren't officially an item but yes we are a couple" He looked at her expectantly.  
  
"Oh…" she said and then with a smile "That's cool!" Duo gaped at her and leaned over.  
  
"Were we that obvious?" he asked.  
  
"Yes and no" she replied with a grin. Duo stuck his tongue out at her and she laughed. "We hadn't noticed it until Cathy pointed it out but once we looked it was tooootally obvious"  
  
"Eeep!" Duo yelped "So Noin does know!"  
  
"Yeah…" Hilde looked at him sympathetically "I'd stay out of her way for a while if I were you…"  
  
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"Thanks for the advice Hilde…I'd better head back to my boyfriend now eh?" Hilde giggled and said good-bye before hurrying back to the girl's table.  
  
"You were right Cathy" she giggled again "they are together" Catherine smiled.  
  
"I always knew those two would end up together…they were always such close friends." Her expression changed and she became pensive "There's more to this though…those four are up to something and Duo's in the middle of it!"  
  
"How do you know Cathy?" Relena said in awe "You're so clever with things like this!"  
  
"I dunno 'Lena…I just don't know…" An evil grin spread across her face and she looked at Sally and Relena. "Now we have to find out if Heero and Wufei are a couple!"  
  
"What?!?!" Relena and Sally both gasped. Catherine burst out laughing.  
  
"I'm only messing…you should 'ave seen your faces…" They all began to laugh…except for Noin.  
  
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Duo sat back down at the table and Milliardo looked at him curiously.  
  
"They know…" Duo said sighing melodramatically. "Our secret is no longer a secret…Do…Do you still love me now that /they/ know…I…I'll understand if you don't…" Duo joked. Wufei rolled his eyes.  
  
! I don't know Duo…I just don't know…" Milliardo sighed dramatically playing along. "I think we'd all be better off if we ended this right now…" he pretended to wipe a tear from his eye "Good-bye Duo Maxwell" He picked up his plastic lunch knife and pretended to stab himself in the heart 'Romeo and Juliet' style. He ell back, his head falling into Duo's lap. Duo grabbed his coke can and took a sip, made various choking noises before he fell forward with his head on the table. He nearly tipped Milliardo from his lap.  
  
"Bravo Duo…Encore…er…actually no encore…please" Heero laughed. Wufei clapped distastefully but he was smiling. Duo stood up bowing and knocked Milliardo. There was a loud clatter and Milliardo stood up grumbling and rubbing his head. Duo erupted into fits of laughter. Wufei chuckled and Milliardo pretended to bow.  
  
"You two should seriously consider acting as a profession" Heero grinned.  
  
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"So what was that particular piece called?" Wufei asked skeptically.  
  
"Hmmm…I call that…really really…pathetic…" he began to laugh again.  
  
"Aw it wasn't /that/ bad…" Heero said in between laughs.  
  
"Yes it was!" Wufei chuckled. The bell went and they all got up to go to class. Duo was in a really good mood; he hadn't had this much fun in ages. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Noin glaring at him and remembered Hilde's warning.  
  
"Hey guys wait up!" he called and raced after his three friends.  
  
"So do you want to come to the Dojo with us after school?" Wufei asked.  
  
"I'd love to Wuffie but I don't think we'd be allowed" he looked at Milliardo who nodded in agreement.  
  
"Of course" Heero said understandingly.  
  
"Maybe another time?" Heero and Wufei nodded and Duo added, "I'd love to learn to fight!" He jumped ahead of them doing 'karate chops' and jumping kicks.  
  
"I could be the next Jackie Chan although your name suits it better…Wuffie Chang!" He pounced at Wufei who brushed him aside glaring.  
  
"Will you stop calling me that Maxwell!!!"  
  
To Be Continued…  
  
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Well I hope you liked this chapter…sigh…I really can't think of anything tonight…my brain's asleep…  
  
Review if ya liked?????????????????????????????? 


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Finally got a chance to update. Well I hope you like this part. I've been really busy playing Final Fantasy X…not much time for writing lol.  
  
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Victim 9  
  
That evening Duo and Milliardo were sitting nervously on the couch. The policeman had returned and was explaining the plan to them. He gave them each a small, easily concealed gun and showed them how to use it. The school would be notified about the weapons incase they noticed that the boys had them.  
  
"We will only tell them that it is necessary, we won't go into much detail" Duo sighed in relief.  
  
"We will be positioned all along your route to school and will be disguised or hidden. There will also be back up. I won't lie though…this will be extremely risky and there is a fifty-fifty chance of success" Duo and Milliardo nodded simultaneously.  
  
"You must act normal…don't act nervous it could give us away" They nodded again.  
  
"Well that's all I have to say…Good luck boys, I'll see you tomorrow." The boys stood as the policeman got up to leave. They went to bed early and found comfort in each other's arms. Duo laid his head on Milliardo's chest listening to the steady heartbeat.  
  
"I'm scared Milliardo" he whispered.  
  
"Me too…" Milliardo whispered back kissing Duo's hair.  
  
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The next morning Milliardo's mother gave them both a kiss on the cheek before they left.  
  
"Good luck sweetheart," she said as she hugged her son tightly "and you too love" she squeezed Duo tightly. Her eyes were misty with tears. Milliardo said good-bye and grabbed and apple from the bowl as he was leaving.  
  
"Do you have an apple every morning?" Duo asked curiously having noticed Millirdo's habit when the left each morning.  
  
"Yup!" Milliardo said giving the apple a quick polish on his sweater "It helps me wake up."  
  
"Oh…I'd prefer something sweet…like chocolate!"  
  
"Yuck…that's so typical of you Duo. You have such a sweet tooth." He said grinning.  
  
"And you are a health freak…I swear the only junk food you eat is that bag of crisps after school!" Milliardo stuck out his tongue, a pile of half- chewed apple sitting on his tongue.  
  
"Ewww!! That is just gross Milliardo!" Milliardo began to laugh and a piece of apple went with his breath and he began to cough. Duo stopped and thumped him on the back.  
  
"Are you alright?!" he asked frantically.  
  
"Stop hitting me so bloody hard" Milliardo grunted.  
  
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His face was flushed but the piece of food had gone down. He dropped his half-eaten apple in the bin.  
  
"See! That wouldn't have happened with a bar of chocolate!" Duo said standing with his hands on his hips. "They just don't realise how dangerous health food is!" Milliardo rolled his eyes, well used of Duo's rants.  
  
"Duo?" he said.  
  
"Yeah?" Duo answered enthusiastically.  
  
"Shut up!" Duo scowled and stuck his tongue out at Milliardo.  
  
"See…I can do that without choking!" Duo said slyly. Milliardo sighed.  
  
"Why do you torment me…my brain hurts…and we haven't even reached school yet…" Duo grinned and wrapped an arm around Milliardo.  
  
"Cheer up Milli…I'm not /that/ annoying"  
  
"Yes you are" Milliardo whined "And don't call me that…aww geez…I'm starting to sound like Wufei…" He muttered. Duo chucked and he noticed that they were almost at the school. As they neared Duo could see a figure on the wall glaring at him…Noin. He poked Milliardo in the ribs and the blonde turned grimacing when he saw Noin watching them…well watching Duo to be precise.  
  
"Ignore her…" he whispered to Duo.  
  
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Noin watched as both boys walked past her. She glared furiously at Duo's back. God she hated him. He had taken Milliardo away from her.  
  
"Excuse me…" A voice said. Noin turned and found herself facing a hooded figure.  
  
"Yes?" she said bluntly.  
  
"I noticed you…looking at those two boys and saw how you didn't seem to like Duo Maxwell"  
  
"I don't like him!" she snapped.  
  
"How would you like him out of your hair?" Noin turned to him her smile matching his.  
  
"What do I have to do?" she asked.  
  
"You know the boy with Duo?" she nodded in response "Well I need you to distract him this evening when school is over…"  
  
"I'll do it!" Noin said and she headed into school. She realized that she hadn't even asked for the man's name, but that didn't matter as long as he got Duo out of her way and she got Milliardo back. The bell rang and she headed for class sincerely looking forward to the coming evening. She narrowed her eyes when she saw Duo hanging off Milliardo while they talked to Heero and Wufei.  
  
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When the evening came Milliardo and Duo went to their lockers, glancing nervously at each other before they headed for the exit. They chatted pretending not to be nervous and walked towards the gate.  
  
"Milliardo can I talk to you for a sec?" They looked over to where Noin was waiting.  
  
"I'll only be a moment…" Milliardo whispered to Duo and went over to where Noin was standing. Duo stood and waited while Milliardo talked to Noin. Suddenly he felt something cold press against his neck.  
  
"Don't move boy…or I'll kill you now!" hissed his father. Duo bit back a sob and cried out.  
  
"Millliardo help!" a hand grabbed his hair and pulled his head back, the gun pressed harder to his throat. Milliardo turned when he heard Duo shout and his heart plummeted to his feet.  
  
"Oh no…" he whispered in disbelief. Noin looked satisfied with herself, Milliardo glanced at her.  
  
"You bitch! You had something to do with this didn't you?!" She looked taken aback by his tone.  
  
"Do you realise what you've done???" he snapped The policemen were beginning to move in.  
  
To Be Continued…  
  
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Well I hope you liked this part. The next part will be the final chapter. Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last part 'specially April Aries! 


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Oh well I'm back to typing on the antique again. This is sooo annoying coz I can't type half as fast with this keyboard. Well I guess I'll just have to make do with this piece of crap. Well I'd better get on with the story  
  
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Victim part 10  
  
There was little they could do with him holding the gun to Duo's throat. A crowd was beginning to gather. Duo was terrified, tears rolled down his cheeks as his father whispered all of the things he was going to do to him once they got out of there. "There's something I have to do first" He raised the gun pointing it directly at Milliardo. Milliardo stood paralyzed with fear. "No!" Duo cried and he lashed out knocking the gun from his father's hands. Not before he had fired a shot though. Thankfully the gun had been knocked away from its first target but Noin wasn't so lucky. The bullet hit her in the leg and she dropped to the ground screaming in agony. Milliardo barely spared her a glance. Duo pulled out his little gun as he glared venomously at the man that was supposed to be his father. The guards looked unsure as to what to do. "How does it feel?" Duo hissed. His father looked at him nervously. "Don't do anything you'd regret...I am your father after all."  
  
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"You are not my father...you shouldn't be left near a child!" Duo snarled. "You're too much of a coward to shoot me" Mr. Maxwell hissed at Duo changing his tactics. "You never were one to stand up for yourself" He said his temper flaring uncontrollably. "I may not have felt the need to stand up for myself but the second you aimed that gun at Milliardo my priorities changed" He reinforced his words by taking a step forward. Students whispered curiously with no idea of what was going on. They turned abruptly when the man claiming to be Duo's father shouted. "Fine then, shoot me! Go on! O knew you wouldn't be able to do it" He said patronizingly "Shoot me!" Duo's hand shook as he held the gun pointed at the man. There was a loud bang and Duo's father looked at him in shock. Duo dropped the gun to the ground with a clatter. The sound seemed to jolt everyone into action. The guards jumped forward some running to Mr. Maxwell and others running to Noin. Duo's eyes were glacial as he glared down at his father. "I didn't kill you because I want you to suffer for your crimes. You don't deserve such an easy way out" His voice was low and dangerous. His face was void of all emotion except for one, a deep seething hatred.  
  
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A gentle hand on his shoulder caused hi to whirl around. Milliardo looked at him sadly. "It's over Duo you finally stood up for yourself" Duo looked at him dazed as the full force of what had just happened hit him. He flung himself into Milliardo's arms sobbing. Wufei ran over with Heero following close behind. "Are you alright?" Wufei gasped. "It's finally over..." Heero said quietly. Duo threw himself at Wufei hugging him tightly, then onto Heero. "Thank you both for your support...if that's what you could call it," he said giving Wufei a watery smile. "Glad to see you haven't lost your sense of humor Maxwell" Wufei muttered. The policeman walked over. "Sorry boys but you'll have to come down to the station to give a statement. I hope you don't mind." Duo and Milliardo shook their heads and followed the policeman. When they got home that evening Milliardo's mother had a large celebratory meal ready for them. They went to bed happy that night feeling totally safe for the first time in weeks. It was finally time to return to a normal life.  
  
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The next day in school was hell for them. Everyone was asking what had happened and why it had happened. Duo managed to skirt around the whole thing giving them answers without telling them much. Duo stopped to ask Hilde how Noin was. It hadn't been too serious but she needed crutches to walk. Other than that she was perfectly fine. She would probably be charged and sent to a juvenile detention center for her part in the whole sordid affair. The classes were a break from the questions. Days passed and life slowly returned to normal. Duo and Milliardo sat in English class and passed notes to each other, e note passing had extended to Heero and Wufei...well Heero anyway. Duo would bounce notes off Wufei's head and the note would be returned with messages varying from 'Get lost Duo', 'Leave me alone!!' and even a couple of 'Fuck off Maxwell!!'s. Duo thoroughly enjoyed his task of tormenting Wufei. "I'll take up your essays today" Mr. Suzuharu announced. Duo handed his up feeling slightly nervous. The majority of the class handed up essays. "I'll correct them tonight and hand them back tomorrow, okay?"  
  
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The next day the students filed into class, chattering and generally being noisy. They quieted down as soon as Mr. Suzuharu walked into class. "The essays were quite good overall.however one essay stood apart from the others, it was exceptional." He glanced down at Duo momentarily. "You don't have to Duo.I'd completely understand.but I'd like for you to read yours to the class." Duo gulped and nodded. He walked to the top of the class and Mr. Suzuharu handed him his essay. He cleared his throat preparing to read. The class looked up with interest instantly picking up on Duo's nervousness. Duo took a deep breath. "My life's been full of unforgettable experiences, I have memories that give me nightmares to this day. Memories I wish I could forget but there is one said memory that stands away from all the others." The class were looking up unsure of where the story was headed. Milliardo closed his eyes listening. He had read it before Duo had handed it up and the tears had rolled down his cheeks as he read it. "This day was no different to any of the others. I walked in the door with that familiar sense of dread. I cautiously tiptoed towards the stairs hoping yet know knowing already how pointless it was."  
  
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"I had given up on hope a long time ago, despair was all I knew and pain my closest companion" There were quiet murmurs from the class. "As I crept towards the stairs, trembling hand reaching for the banister I heard that voice. I hated that voice. I despised it.it only ever meant one thing. I answered the man behind the voice, I had learned quickly that not answering the voice was a mistake" Duo took another deep breath before describing the events which followed. Mr. Suzuharu stood to the side tears in his eyes. Duo's voice trembled as he described the beating he had received from his father, the broken ribs, and the dislocated arm. There were gasps from the class. Heero and Wufei stared with horrified expressions. He described how he had gotten to the telephone box and called Milliardo. Then the trip to Milliardo's house and the help he had gotten from Milliardo's family. "My most memorable memory is of the day my best friend rescued me from my hell and ended my nightmare once and for all. There is no greater gift a person could be offered and I will cherish this memory for the rest of my life" A sob escaped Milliardo's lips. Mr. Suzuharu wiped his eyes and began to clap. Most of the class was in tears, well the girls anyway. And the boys were pretending not to be upset but hiding it badly. Duo looked down from the top of the classroom. His eyes met Milliardo and he smiled. He mouthed two words to Milliardo. 'Thank You'  
  
THE END  
  
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Well I hope you liked the ending. I know it was really sappy but sure that's the way it is and there's noting you can do other than like it or hate it.so which is it??  
  
Like.or.hate???  
  
Review and let me know? Please? Wow I still can't believe it's over. 


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